


Worlds Collide

by missthingsplace



Category: Shadowhunters (TV), Torchwood
Genre: Crossover, F/M, M/M, Rating: PG13, Series
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-23
Updated: 2021-02-06
Packaged: 2021-03-10 19:56:00
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 14
Words: 19,808
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28272732
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/missthingsplace/pseuds/missthingsplace
Summary: Having been rewatching both Torchwood and Shadowhunters to try and help my plot bunnies and muses cooperate they hit me with this!Torchwood knows nothing of Shadowhunters and the Shadowhunters know nothing of Torchwood. Their worlds collide by accident and the Shadowhunters find themselves in helping out with an alien kidnapping!There are back stories for both series if you haven't watched one or the other of them.
Relationships: Clary Fray/Jace Wayland, Jack Harkness/Ianto Jones, Magnus Bane/Alec Lightwood, Simon Lewis/Isabelle Lightwood
Comments: 8
Kudos: 39





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own Torchwood/Shadowhunters or any of the characters ... unfortunately, just borrowing them for a while.

Gwen rushed through the cog door, squeezing through the gap as soon as she could while glancing about her frantically.

“Jack? Ianto?” She called out, “Are you here?”

Ianto appeared from the small kitchenette hold two mugs, steam curling upwards from the freshly brewed coffee they held.

“Want one?” He asked.

“No, where's Jack?” Gwen answered, looking more than a little flustered.

“In the archives, we been doing some … filing ...” Ianto replied with a small smile.

“I believe you,” Gwen answered with a small laugh, “I saw something really weird a few minutes ago, really weird.”

“Lead the way,” Ianto told her, following her a little slower, not wanting to spill the hot coffee.

Jack looked up, expecting to see Ianto and a little surprised to see Gwen.

“Aren't you meant to be Christmas shopping today?” Jack asked, tidying his clothing while Gwen tried not to look.

“Yes, but I just … well, something really strange just happened,” Gwen replied. “I had just sat down in the coffee shop, you know the one above Waterstones that looks out towards that huge old, abandoned church?”

“St Andrews?” Ianto put in, arriving and having Jack one of the mugs.

“Yes,” Gwen responded. “and, well, the only way I can explain it is that four people appeared suddenly out of nowhere!”

“Like in Star Trek?” Ianto grinned.

“No!” Gwen stated, “there was this bright light, a big circle and these people stepped though it next to the church.”

“Human?” Jack frowned.

“From what I could see from a distance, but are we the only humanoids in the universe?” Gwen answered,

“No,” Jack said, pondering for a moment, but i've not come across any that can appear in that manner.”

“A species you haven't … come across yes?” Ianto put in with a small smirk, making Gwen chuckle.

“Was there else anyone around, that you see?” Jack asked. “Did they spot them?”

That's another weird thing, there was a couple of people wandering through the old gravestones nearby and they didn't seem to see anything.”

“Yup, very weird,” Ianto put in. 

“Okay, then I guess we should go and see what has arrived,” Jack said, quickly drinking down his now cooling coffee. “Ianto, get the car, we'll meet you out the front.”

Ianto nodded and headed off while Jack and Ianto made their way through the hub towards the lift.

“You didn't notice anything else?” Jack questioned Gwen while they walked.

“They were too far away,” Gwen replied.

“Then we shall just have to go and investigate,” Jack grinned, grabbing his coat and shrugging it on in time for them to step on the slab that would take them up to the plaza.

****

Pulling the car up outside the church, they sat there for a moment but they couldn't see anything from their position. Exiting the car they made their way up the overgrown path towards the abandoned church.

Gwen stopped suddenly.

“Did you see that?” She asked, confused look on her face.

“See what?” Ianto asked, looking about as Jack continued towards the church.

“For a moment, just a moment, the church looked as good as new,” she frowned. “now it looks like it has for as long as I can remember.”

“Trick of the light?” Ianto shrugged.

“Oy, you too, come on,” Jack shouted back to them.

Gwen and Ianto hurried to catch him up, he was standing about six feet away from the doors, glancing about the surrounding graveyard but there wasn't a soul in sight.

“The doors look like they haven't been opened in decades,” Jack frowned. “are you sure they went inside Gwen?”

“Yes, I watched them,” Gwen grumbled. “I didn't imagine it!”

“Okay, I believe you,” Jack chucked. “lets try the doors then.”

They had gone barely two steps when Gwen spotted something out the corner of her eye.

“There!” She stated, stopping and pointed to their right, “They just came from around the back of the church.”

“Where?” Ianto asked. “I can't see anyone.”

“By that big old oak tree,” Gwen told him, pointing again.

“I have to say, I can't see anyone either,” Jack said.

“They're right there!” Gwen stated, frustration clear in her tone of voice.

Jack and Ianto looked at each other, not sure what to say to her, they couldn't see anyone. 

Gwen let put a huff and stalked off towards the four people she could clearly gathered together by the old oak tree, now watching her.

“Hey,” Gwen called, waving a hand at them, increasing her pace and wondering if she was seeing ghosts that were invisible to the rest of her team mates. “You lot, who are you?”

The group of four were new staring at her with looks of confusion on their faces, whispering to each other until she came to a halt two feet in front of them.

“How can you see us?” The obviously human blonde guy asked.

“Of course I can see you why wouldn't I?” Gwen answered. “You're right in front of me, you're obviously not ghosts … so why can I see you but my friends can't?”

“You must have the sight,” put in the tall, dark haired man beside him.

“The sight?” Gwen frowned. “So I'm psychic? You are ghosts or spirits or something?”

Gwen glanced over her shoulder, back at where Jack and Ianto were standing with expressions on their faces that she guess were part confusion and part that she had lost her mind.

“We're not ghosts,” the blonde guy told her. “we are Shadowhunters, and the reason your friends can't see us if because we are using a glamour.”

“Shadowhunters? Glamour?” Gwen huffed, “Okay, whatever that means you need to stop it so my friends can see you,. They obviously think I have lost the plot!”

“Is she one of us?” the girl with the very vivid red hair asked. “I mean, I never knew anything about you until that night outside Pandemonium.” 

“No, I think she is just a human with the sight,” The blonde replied.

“Look.” Gwen said, getting impatient, sweeping her eyes towards the forth member of the group and taking in his more flamboyant clothes, spiked up hair and eyeliner. “whatever I am doesn't matter, I need you to make yourselves to be seen so they can see me!”

Gwen pointed behind her.

“Fine,” The dark haired one sighed, making her think of Ianto.

“Good, then come with me,” she said, leading the group across the churchyard to her team mates.

“I'm not mad,” she said, stopping in front of Jack and Ianto, then she turned and said to the group behind her. “now, please?”

They looked at each other, nodded in unison and she watched while they waved something over a tattoo on their arms and the man with the spiky hair and eyeliner wave his hands about, lights sparking from his fingers.

Turning back to Jack and Ianto she smiled at the looks of confusion and shock on their faces.

“They call themselves Shadowhunters,” Gwen told them with a smirk, “apparently I have something called the sight which meant I could see them when you couldn't, they have de-glamoured!”

“Shadowhunters?” Jack asked, “Never heard of you?”

“Why would you, you're human?” The blonde replied.

“Not exactly,” Jack answered, just as the heavens opened and it began pouring down with rain.

“Got to love the Welsh weather,” Ianto dead panned, producing an umbrella from somewhere.

“We should go inside” the redhead suggested.

“We could go back to the hub,” Ianto suggested. “where it will be warm and dry.”

“Don't worry, you won't be cold or wet here,” the blonde smirked, leading the way.

****

“You were saying? Jack grumbled and shivered.

The redhead chuckled, taking Jack's hand while the blonde grasped Ianto's and The dark haired man grabbed Gwen's. All three whatched then pass something that glowing stick over the tattoos on their bodies and before them the churched changed. The interior became bright, the walls looking like they must have done when they were new and the air became positively warmer.

“How?” Ianto gasped.

“It's beautiful,” Jack stated.

“So I wasn't imagining things when I saw the church look different outside earlier!” Stared Gwen.

“Another glamour, so Mundanes like you can't see what you don't need to.” the blonde answered. 

“Mundanes?” Ianto asked.

“Humans, those without angel or demon blood.” the dark haired man added.

“Okay, I think we need to talk,” Jack stated. “do you have coffee?”

“We have a machine,” The red haired woman replied.

“Lead the way!” Ianto grinned and followed her down a hallway.

TBC


	2. Chapter 2

Ianto followed the red head back through the maze of corridors, both holding trays of coffee to where the rest had assembled in what looked like a conference room full of screens and other gadgets.

“Clary here tells me you're all from New York?” Ianto stated, placing the tray on the table and handing Jack and Gwen their drinks.

“We are,” the dark haired man replied, indicating each person as he spoke. “I guess we should all introduce ourselves before we go any further. I'm Alec, you now know Clary, this is Jace and last of is Magnus.”

“Ianto, Ianto Jones,” Ianto told them with a small nod of his head, “and this is Gwen and Jack.”

“Captain Jack Harkness,” Jack said, giving them his usual beaming smile. “and we are Torchwood.”

“Torchwood?” Asked Alec.

“We keep the world, well, mostly Wales safe from alien threats,” Ianto put in.

“Aliens?” Clary chuckled.

“There is a rift in time and space here in Cardiff and things slip through,” Gwen added, “sometimes aliens, sometimes, space junk and now and then a prehistoric creature!”

“You're messing with us, aren't you?” Clary grinned.

“Nope!” Ianto retorted, glancing at Jack.

“So, you call yourself Shadowhunters and you stated that we were Mundanes because we had no demon or angel blood?” Jack said, “Who exactly are you and what do you do?”

“Shadowhunters are half angel and half Mundane,” Alec explained. “then there are the Downworlders, Werewolves, Vampires, Faeries and Warlocks for example who are half human and half demon. We ...”

“And you think we were joking where we said aliens?” Gwen butted in, “and you want us to believe all those things are real?”

“All the stories are true,” Clary replied, “in fact, not long ago I never knew about the shadow world or that I belonged it until I got caught up in it by accident.”

“Magnus is not a shadowhunter, is he?” Ianto asked curiously. “The rest of you are all dressed alike in black and leather. Magnus, why are you with this bunch?”

“I'm a Warlock,” Magnus replied. “I work with them, help them out when they need by talents.”

“So, a Warlock?” Gwen grinned then added, “That explains the sparks that came out your fingers earlier then? You can perform magic?”

“Indeed,” Magnus smiled, he clicked his fingers causing a blue flash of light and a single rose appeared in his hand, which he handed to Gwen.

Nobody missed the small pout Alec had on his face.

“You know it's only you I love,” Magnus smiled.

“yeah,” Alec smiled back.

“Oh get a room!” Jace laughed.

Gwen laughed, “I'm not the only one to use that line then!”

“So, who do you hunt them then, Downworlders?” Ianto asked, changing the subject.

“Only the ones that go rogue, we keep the world safe from Demons.” Clary replied.

“Demons” Jack nodded.

“So, you believe Demons exist?” Alec asked.

“I'm not convinced about the other things you mentioned, but Demons? Yes. One killed me once,” Jack told him, “Abaddon.”

“Wait, killed you?” Jace asked, “if he killed you … but you're not dead.”

“I can't die,” Jack stated.

“Technically he can die, he just doesn't stay dead!” Gwen added.

“You can't die?” Clary asked, “How is that even possible.”

“Something happened to me a long time ago, in the future. I died and was pulled back to life,” Jack explained, “and now I am immortal.”

“A long time ago, in the future?” Jace frowned, “That makes no sense!”

“I was killed in the future, fighting to save the population of a space station,” Jack explained, “but after I came back to life I found myself stranded. Luckily I had my vortex manipulator on me and I set it to return here, back on earth but it's not the perfect way to time travel and I found myself one hundred years too early.”

“Vortex manipulator?” Asked Clary, Not at all sure the man wasn't making up some story.

Jack showed her the device on his wrist. 

“It burnt out, I couldn't use it again,” Jack told her, “so I was stuck here waiting.”

“But you're a Mundane? Human?” Alec asked.

“Not completely,” Jack shrugged, “I'm not from around here.”

“So you're an alien?” Clary frowned.

“Not in that sense of the world,” Jack explained. “I am from the future, human life finds it way out into the stars, they evolve, met other humanoid species and … yes, I am part human.”

“From the future,” Magnus put in, “You said you were waiting, waiting for what?”

“Not a what, a who. Someone. This was the best place to do so,” Jack answered, “he comes here sometimes to refuel his ship, his TARDIS and I need to be here when he did.”

“Ship? TARDIS?” Magnus asked, “Is he an alien?”

“Yes,” Jack grinned, “he is a Time Lord and has saved the earth from aliens more times than you could ever imagine.”

“Time Lord,” chuckled Jace.

“Last of his kind,” Jack said sadly, “the rest died in a war fighting one of Earth's biggest enemies, the Daleks.” 

“But, Time Lord, that sounds rather pretentious?” Jace laughed.

Jack shrugged. “He is what he is and was hoping he could fix me.”

“You don't want to stay immortal?” Alex asked, glancing quickly at Magnus.

“No, I'm already thousands of years old, “Jack explained. “long story involving my brother and being taken back far into the past and buried … until not long ago ...”

“But … if you can't die ...” Clary asked with a look of horror on her face.

“I spent the time alternating between dying of suffocation and gasping back to life,” Jack replied, confirming her suspicions. “I am ageing, albeit very slowly, I find the odd grey hair and the thought of spending who knows how many thousands of more years I might live … a little scary.”

“You never said?” Ianto said quietly.

“Well, nothing can fix it anyway, the Doctor came, he told me there was nothing he could do. That I was a fixed point in time … and … I try not to think about it, for various reasons.” Jack answered honestly. “I need to live in the here and now, live my life. Helping to keep Cardiff safe from Aliens with Ianto and Gwen and … enjoying time with Ianto. I would never have met him if I hadn't come to Cardiff, for however long we have. ”

“Torchwood is a dangerous job,” Gwen put in sadly, “most employees don't live long lives.”

“Like Tosh and Owen,” Ianto added sadly. “Died saving the world.”

“Bit like ours then,” Jace nodded. 

“Anyway,” Why are you here in Cardiff and not at home in New York?” Gwen asked brightly, trying to shake off the sadness.

“This place, this institute has been dormant for a long time,” Alec explained. “left on automatic I guess you could say as there hadn't been any demonic activity in more that 70 years. We were given the mission to come and check it out, make sure it was still in one piece.”

“But what about when Abaddon was here?” Ianto frowned. “We could have really used you back then!”

“That is strange,” Jace admitted, “we should have got an alert from the system.”

“Perhaps it's got a glitch,” Clary put it.

“Yeah,” Alec nodded thoughtfully, “we should check all the systems thoroughly before we leave again.” 

“You mentioned somewhere … the hub?” Jace asked. “Is that your base?”

“Yeah,” Ianto answered, “not a patch on this place though, less high tech!”

“Maybe, but they don't have a Weevil in the cells or a Pterodactyl as a pet,” Jack grinned.

“Pterodactyl?” Clary gasped, “An actual prehistoric creature?”

“She slipped through the rift, Ianto and I captured her,” Jack explained. “you could say she played a part in us getting together.”

“Wow!” Clary exclaimed, “That I have to see!”

“If we have time,” Alec told her. “We're on a tight schedule.”

“Since when has that ever stopped us?” Jace laughed. 

“Anyway, it's almost lunchtime, who's hungry?” Jack put in.

“Starving!” Alec admitted.

“Okay, food,” Jack said. “what do you fancy, pizza, Chinese, fish and chips? Anything else?”

“Pizza,” Alec and Jace responded in unison.

“Good choice,” Jack nodded. “pizza okay with everyone?”

The others nodded in agreement. 

“Well, I guess we can't get it delivered to what looks like an abandoned church,” Ianto said with a small sigh, “I'll go and get some, any preferences?”

They all put in what that wanted and Ianto grabbed his coat. He was about to leave when he heard a voice call out to him.

“You know, I could conjurer them up with magic?” Magnus told him.

“It's okay, I could do with a bit of fresh air,” Ianto replied.

“If you're sure.” Magnus said and returned to the group.

Ianto was literally out the door when another voice called out to him, Alec's. 

“Do you mind if I come with you?” Alec asked.

“Sure, if you want,” Ianto replied, “it's not far.”

Once in the car and driving Alec said, “There's something I wanted to ask you.”

TBC


	3. Chapter 3

“Sure,” Ianto replied with a small shrug.

“You and Jack, have you been together long?” Alec enquired.

“Officially a while, unofficial, longer,” Ianto answered truthfully. “It took a while for it to transition from casual into a relationship.”

“Have you always know about his immortality?” Alec questioned.

“No, he kept that a secret from us for a long time,” Ianto told him.

“Does it bother you, that he can't die and that … if the job doesn't kill you, you will age and he will look the same?” Alec asked, “that you might become a burden to him?”

“If I'm honest, I try not to think about it,” Ianto admitted. “I have always known that my job was dangerous and that most employees are lucky to make it into their 30s or 40s. I worked for Torchwood One in London before coming here to Cardiff, which is Torchwood Three. I was there for the battle, between the Cybermen and Daleks. Two very dangerous species of aliens. I was lucky to get away with my like. Lisa, my girlfriend … well, she didn't survive.”

“You had a girlfriend? So you're Bi?” Alec asked.

“No … i've never been attracted to men until I met Jack and … it's just Jack,” Ianto told him, “I played on his reputation to get into Torchwood Three, I needed a job there … a story for another day … and well, I found myself attracted very to him.”

Alec nodded thoughtfully.

“So, you never think about growing old?” He asked. “Ever?”

“Now and then,” Ianto admitted, “when we've had a good day with no alien threats, laying in bed and finding my mind wandering to how it could be. Jack … well, he's been alive for so long and I'm not even sure how many relationships he has been in, let alone the countless one night stands. I sometimes wonder if he able to be monogamous and if he will grow tired of me too … but, I contend myself with living in the here and now where I am happy to be with the man I love.”

Alec sat quietly as they pulled to a stop near the pizza takeaway, obviously deep in thought.

“Why do you ask?” Ianto asked him.

“It's Magnus, being a Warlock makes him immortal,” Alec responded. “He could die, unlike Jack but he doesn't age at all. We had a falling out once, over this very subject. I still worry that I will get old and feeble, become a burden to him or that he will seek out someone younger and able when I get old, even though he reassured me it would never happen. I keep those thoughts to myself now, as you say, living in the here and now.”

“What sparked it? Had you always felt this way?” Ianto asked.

“Not at first, but he has this box, with mementoes in of people he has loved and lost,” Alec replied, “It made me think, that one day I would be gone, something of mine would be added to the box and he would just live his life without me.”

“He can't help being immortal,” Ianto said softly. “did he tell you why he had the box?”

“So he wouldn't forget them,” Alec sighed.

“If those people were just a passing fancy then he wouldn't have save something to remember them by,” Ianto said, “the very fact that he has them means he loved them, that they were important to him. And when he does lose you, you should feel privileged that something of yours is added to that box. Do you know how long it is between his last relationship and yours?”

“Over a century,” Alec told him, “he told me that I had unlocked something in him, opened his heart up to love again.”

“Then I would say you have nothing to worry about,” Ianto smiled, “it sounds like he needed to meet someone very special for that to happen.”

“I guess so,” Alec said, allowing a small smile to form on his lips. “if I lost him, I think I would be lost, we, Shadowhunters, we only fall in love once and fiercely…”

“Very romantic,” Ianto grinned. 

“Yeah, I guess so.” Alec admitted. 

“Right, lets go and get the pizzas before the rest of them wonder where we have got to,” Ianto told him. “and I'm starving!”

“Me too,” Alec told him and they climbed out the SUV.

****

“So, you're a Warlock then?” Jack asked Magnus, curious. “What exactly does that entail, you said that you can do magic?”

“My mother was human and my dad was a Demon,” Magnus explained. “being part Demon means I can do magic, yes.”

“Doesn't being half demon make you evil?” Gwen put in.

“It could have done,” Magnus admitted, “I was brought up by my Demon father, my mother died when I was small but I knew that wasn't how I wanted to live my life.”

Jack nodded. “Any other useful traits?”

“I am an immortal, like you,” Magnus replied. “I don't age, but I did have a bit of a scare a while back when I lost my magic.”

“In what way?” Jack asked.

“I found a grey hair, it was the thing that made me suddenly realise that I would grow old and die like a mundane and it scared me,” Magnus admitted. “I got very drunk and almost lost Alexander completely.”

“We should go and start those checks on the system,” Clary suggested to Jace, feeling a little uncomfortable at Magnus's revelation, “see if we can find out why we were never alerted when Abaddon found his way here?”

“Yeah, sure,” Jace agreed readily.

“Mind if I tag along?” Gwen asked hopefully, “I might be able to help?”

“Okay with me,” Clary told her and Jace shrugged in agreement.

With that they hurried from the room, leaving Jack and Magnus to their talk.

“How did you lose your magic?” Jack asked,

“We had a Demon threat, Lilith and she had a hold over Jace, He was possessed and doing her bidding. My magic wasn't strong enough to release her hold on Jace.” Magnus explained. “I knew how to get the extra power I needed, but it meant going to Edom and asking my father for help.”

“And that caused you to lose your magic?” Jack frowned.

“No, he agreed to help, to give me the power to save Jace but things always come with a price where my father is concerned,” Magus told him, “and that price was to give him my magic once the deed was done.”

“Harsh!” Jack exclaimed.

“But if I hadn't agreed to it, Jace would have been lost forever and the world … it would have been a haven for Demons,” Magnus told him.

Jack nodded.

“It worked and I saved him from the possession,” Magnus continued, “I lost my magic at that point and it was thanks to a vampire called Simon that Lilith was banished back to Edom … a long story for another day.”

“But you obviously got your magic back?” Jack said.

“Thanks to Alexander, without my knowledge he made a deal with my father,” Magnus replied, “he agreed to never see me again if my father returned my magic. When he broke up with me he broke my heart … until I found out what my father had done … he can never meddle in my life again.”

“You killed him?” Jack asked, shocked.

“No, I banished him, while unconscious through a portal and into limbo where he can never escape,” Magnus replied, “which I think most would claim as worse.”

“You don't want to be without your immortality then?” Jack asked. “I have lived thousands of years, died more times than I can count and … sometimes it seems far too long, but I am resigned to it now.”

“Without my magic I didn't like how I felt,” Magnus replied, “I didn't feel whole. Useless. I couldn't get used to being a mundane and finding that grey hair was the last straw.”

“But what about Alec, you could have grown old together?” Jack enquired.

“I have been alive for 800 or so years, to suddenly become immortal was hard,” Magnus admitted, “don't get me wrong, I love Alexander and I have no intention of leaving him but … I needed my magic back.”

“How does Alec feel, about you not wanting to stay mundane?” Jack asked.

“I know he worries about getting old and that I will still look the same,” Magnus admitted, “it caused some problems when he first let himself think about it, but no matter how old he gets, I will be there with him. I hadn't let anyone into my heart for over a century until he came along, he is special.”

“He's okay with it now?” Jack asked.

“I think he is, he doesn't say anything.” Magnus said with a smile, “I hope he is, now we are married!”

“Oh, I never noticed the ring until now,” Jack grinned, “congratulations.”

“What about you and Ianto?” Magnus enquired.

“Who know, maybe we will tie the knot,” Jack replied. “something I've never even considered before I met Ianto.”

“I had never married anyone either in my long life, until I found Alexander,” Magnus smiled. “something else we seem to have in common.”

“Yeah, it would seem so.” Jack grinned, “I still can't believe that I've never come across your world before now.”

“We are very good at hiding ourselves among Mundanes,.” Magnus told him, “We rarely get seen, people like Gwen are rare.”

“I for one and very glad she can see you,” Jack told him, “life has taken an interesting turn.”

“It has indeed,” Magnus agreed. 

“So, these Shadowhunters,” Jack asked, “How did you get tangled up with them, was it through meeting Alec or some other way?”

“Clary,” Magnus replied. “Her mother didn't want her to be part of the shadow world, she pretended to be a mundane and whenever Clary experience anything out of the ordinary she would bring her so see me, so I could remover her memories. Which worked for a long time, but one evening on her 18th birthday she found herself caught up in the shadow world by accident, meeting Jace, Alec and their sister Isabel.”

Jace and Alec are brothers? They look nothing alike,” Jack asked.

“Alec's family took Jace in when he was young,” Magnus replied, “he needed a family, they became his.”

Jack nodded.

“Clary could see the Shadowhunters, Jace found her after their first meeting in a nightclub, my nightclub and saved her from a demon. He took a chance that she was part of their world and put a healing rune on her and she recovered. If he was wrong she could have died.”

“And how did this lead to you?” Jack asked.

“She found out I had taken her memories,” Magnus replied. “I first met Alec when they came to me for help, to retrieve her memories but I didn't have them anymore, I had fed them to a memory demon for safe keeping … I tried to get them back but it went wrong. Lets just say she was taken in by the shadowhunters, to train to become one of them and find a way to save her mother.”

“Save her mother?” Jack frowned.

“Oh, did I miss that out?” Magnus smiled. “There were people looking for her mother, they were after an artefact that belonged to the Shadowhunters and they thought she had it. She took a potion made by another Warlock and they found and took her. We need to get her back and find an antidote. Another long story but we did find her and we did wake her up and after being betrayed and losing the artefact we finally got it back. And during this time, Alec and I got to know each other, but we never actually got together until the day of his wedding!”

“What!” Jack almost shouted, “He married someone else?”

Magnus smiled widely. 

“He had agreed to marry a woman to please his family,” Magnus explained. “Neither of them loved the other, it was a marriage of convenience, I had tried to convince him not to do it, that he would ruin both their lives, living a lie but he wouldn't listen. I arrived at the wedding ceremony, just as they were about to mark each other with wedding runes … and … well, his mother wasn't happy I was there … but his bride to be knew even before she agreed to marry him that he had feelings for me, that he wouldn't admit. We had so much to thank her for, she told Alexander he deserved to be happy and let him go.”

“And?” Jack asked.

“He walked up the aisle to me and kissed me, in front of the whole institute,” Magnus explained. “of course there were some who already knew he was gay, but he came out to everyone that day. His mother strode off with a face like thunder and his dad followed.”

“His mother was upset he was gay?” Jack asked.

“She was more upset that he had ditched his wedding for a combination of my being a downworlder and a Warlock to boot.”

“Oh boy! Jack stated.

“It didn't start well, but before we were even married she started treating me like one of the family,” Magnus smiled.

TBC


	4. Chapter 4

“Pizza,” Ianto called out cheerily as he and Alec arrived back at the institute.

“So, where are the rest of them?” Alec asked, looking back and forth between his husband and Jack.

“They went to start work on the computer system, to try and see if they could find a glitch in the system,” Jack explained. “I think Magnus and I were boring them with our story swapping.”

Magnus grinned at the pout on his husbands lips.

“Well, you were a long time getting the pizzas,” Magnus joked gently. “We had to kill the time somehow!”

“But ...” Alec began.

Before he could continue Magnus was at his side, kissed him softly on the cheek and whispered something in his husbands ear making his expression turn to one of happiness.

“Okay, lets eat, i'll got get the others,” Alec stated and headed off still smiling.

“What did you say to him?” Ianto asked curiously.

“Nothing much, he can be a little insecure at times,” Magnus replied, “I just reassured him.”

“Sure!” Jack chuckled.

“Food!” Jace stated loudly, returning with Alec, Clary and Gwen.

They all helped themselves hungrily to pizza, making satisfied murmurs as they did so.

“Find anything in the system?” Alec enquired.

“Not yet,” Jace told him. “Do you know how Abaddon got into this world?”

“A man, a strange man with the ability to step from one time into another,” Gwen put in. “he manipulated us, used us to open the rift and to help him bring Abaddon here.”

“Maybe he knows something of the shadow world, maybe he knew how to stop the system picking up his presence?” Clary asked.

“I guess we will never know, but if we can't find a glitch in the system then is a possibility,” Jace replied. “Do you know where this man is now?”

“No, he vanished,” Jack told him,” He could be anywhere in time.”

“Do you think he might try something like this again?” Alec frowned.

“I can't be positive, but I would say no,” Jack answered as honestly as he could. “So, Ianto, it took a long time for those pizzas, anything you want to tell me?”

Alec shot him a look and Ianto could tell he didn't want Magnus to know what they had spoken about.

“Nope! The place was busy, we had to wait a while,” Ianto told him. “not an exciting place, a pizza shop.”

“True, “ Jack chucked, knowing Ianto would fill him in later. “so, once you've checked all you systems you'll be heading back to New York?”

“They need us back there,” Alec explained, “we will leave this institute how we found it, in the assumption that all the systems are okay. We will inform the Clave what happened to you and they can decide if they feel that it needs to be manned again, even if it's just with a minimal amount of Shadowhunters for now.”

“Clave?” Gwen asked.

“The boses i'm guessing?” Jack put in.

“Yeah, they control everything,” Jace replied.

“Then we should probably leave you too it,” Jack said, “work of our own to do.”

“I ...” Alec managed to get out before the alarm on Jack wrist strap went off.

“And there we go” Ianto grinned, pulling out his mobile phone. “not far from here, about three and a half miles west.”

“Lets go. Gwen now!” Jack stated.

Gwen put the piece of half eaten pizza down and wiped her hands with a serviette. 

“Actually Jack,” Jace asked, “could we come? We could help?”

“We know how to fight, can't be much different fighting aliens to fighting demons?” Clary added.

Jack thought about it for a minute. “Okay, but you take my lead, you know nothing of our world.”

“Of course,” Alec replied, speaking for the rest of them.

“How are we all going to fit in the SUV?” Ianto put in.

“I'm sure we can find a way to fit … if we are clever!” Jack grinned, imagining Ianto on his lap. 

****

“Can you see anything?” Jack asked, “Ianto, are they still here?”

“Nothing, Ianto answered, their torches making barely any impact in the pitch darkness. “but yes, they are still around here somewhere.”

“We can help,” Jace told them, “there's a rune for seeing heat signatures in the dark.”

“Of course there is!” Ianto put in, feeling a bit redundant.

“If you'd rather we didn't?” Clary said a little apologetically. 

“No, it's fine,” Ianto answered.

“Okay,” Jack said and they watched Jace draw on his arm with the device that glowed.

“What is that?” Gwen asked curiously.

“It's a Stele,” Alec explained. “It's used to create and activate runes.”

“Okay, more on them later!” Jack stated. “Can you see anything Jace?”

“There's four, maybe five heat signatures in that building over there,” Jace replied. “Lets go get them!”

“No, we don't work like that,” Jack explained. “Not all aliens are a threat, we don't go blundering in and killing them, we see what they are first.”

“Fair enough,” Alec replied. “Okay, lead the way.”

They followed Jack and his team through the dark to the building, about five hundred yards away and stopped outside.

“Still there Jace?” Jack enquired.

“Yeah, they seem to be huddled over in the far right corner,” he replied.

“Okay, lets scout for places of entry,” Jack told them, “Ianto, you and Jace come with me, the rest of you go around the other way and see what we can find.”

They nodded in the dim torchlight and went in their different directions.

“Gwen, seen anything,” Jack asked over the comms.

“Nothing yet Jack,” She told him.

“Us neither,” he responded, keep looking.”

They all ended up outside the huge warehouse doors at the some time, the opposite end of the building.

“Umm, no other way in, that doesn't help with the surprise element!” Jack stated, “No matter, and remember, no weapons unless they prove hostile.”

They nodded in agreement.

Jack tried the door, finding that thankfully it was bolted but from the outside. They opened easily and with a sigh of relief he pushed one of the doors open a few inches. Bright light flooded out into the darkness, blinding them for a few seconds.

Blinking hard Jack looking into to large space before him, he could see movement in the distance but they were too far away to see clearly. 

“Ianto, Gwen and I will go first,” Jack instructed. “give us a few minutes before joining us, we should know by then they they are friendly or not.”

“We can do that,” Jace replied, but wanting to see what was in there.

The Torchwood team slipped into the building, they made it half way across the space between them and those gathered in the corner before they were noticed.

“Hey!” Jack called out.

There were four aliens before them, they were humanoid but that was where the resemblance ended. Their skin shimmered between purple and royal blue, they had vivid blue eyes and hair. In human terms they would be considered female but Jack knew not to jumps to assumptions like that. They were somewhere between five and six feet tall between them, they were very skimpy black clothing considering the current cold and damp weather of the time of year.

And they looked terrified.

“Don't worry, we're not here to hurt you,” Jack told them softly. “did you come through the rift? Maybe we can help you?”

They huddled closer together.

“They're scared,” Gwen said, “and maybe they don't understand us?”

“Possibly,” Ianto nodded.

At that point Magnus and the Shadowhunters entered the building causing the aliens to huddle even closer together.

“Their scared,” Jack warned them, “don't make any sudden moves.”

“They were locked in here, I don't think they were here under their own steam,” Ianto put in, “but as to who put them here … I'm not sure I want to hang around and meet them!”

“We need to get them back to the hub, to safety,” Gwen frowned, “if we can convince them that we mean no harm.”

“Gwen, I guess they are more likely to trust you and Clary that the rest of us,” Jack said, if we can get them to the SUV to take them to the hub. The rest of us will find a couple of taxi's and meet you there.”

“Good plan,” Gwen agreed, “any ideas on how we can get them to trust us?”

“I know they don't seem to understand us, but maybe if you speak to them softly, reassuringly they might respond?” Ianto suggested.

Gwen shrugged, “It's worth a try!”

Gwen slowly moved closer to them, inch by inch until she was a couple of feet away. They still seemed alarmed but they had stopped trying to huddle tighter into the corner.

“I'm Gwen,” she said softly, “I, we just want to help you.”

She turned her head to look at Jack and he smiled reassuringly. Gwen made 'come with me' motions with her hands. They looked at each other, whispering in a language no-one knew and when it seemed they had come to some sort of agreement one of them stepped forwards.

“I … we … yes,” the alien spoke in halting English.

“Okay!” Clary exclaimed a little too excitedly, startling them a little.

“So, they speak a little English,” Jack said. “take them now, before they change their minds and we will follow as soon as we can find taxi's.”

“Do we put them in the cells?” Gwen asked.

“No, they have been locked up, I don't want to do that to them again,” Jack replied. “take them in the conference room, try and find out if the need anything we can supply, food or drinks.”

“Done,” Gwen responded and motioned at them to follow her and Clary.

Once they were out the building Jack activated his wrist strap to check for signs of the rift. It detected barely a trace anything.

“No rift activity in this building, just some residual readings from the aliens,” Jack told them, “they didn't come through here, someone brought them here.”

“And that means?” Alec asked.

“Either some suspect human found them or they were brought here either by someone else of the same race or if we're really lucky another much worse one,” Jack replied.

“The way they were dressed,” Ianto added, “I'm thinking like human trafficking but with aliens?”

“I'm thinking the same thing,” Jack answered. “right, lets get out of here before they come back. We'll keep monitoring this place for activity, I spotted CCTV cameras up there. Ianto, I need you to hack into them.”

“Yes Sir,” Ianto replied.

The group then headed back towards the road, torches leading the way.

TBC


	5. Chapter 5

Gwen led the way into the hub and up to the conference room, Clary following at the back of the group while looking about her and wondering where the Pterodactyl she had heard about was. Once there Gwen indicated to the aliens they should take a seat and they followed her instructions.

“You can understand me?” She asked them.

“A … little,” replied the one that had spoken before. “we … trying.”

Gwen nodded. “Do you need food? Water?”

They looked at her blankly so she mimed eating and drinking and they all nodded enthusiastically. 

“That will be a yes then,” Clary smiled.

“Well, I think we have some biscuits,” Gwen frowned, “that will hopefully do for now. Can you stay with them while I fetch them? I won't be long.”

Clary replied yes, trying to hide that she felt a little nervous being left along with these strange beings. She took a seat herself and smiled, that she hoped was in a reassuring way at them while they whispered quietly among each other in their own language, hoping that they weren't plotting anything untoward. Hand on the hilt of her seraph blade, just in case,

Clary let out a sign of relief and relaxed the grip on the hilt of her seraph blade a few minutes later when Gwen returned with a jug of water, glasses and two packets of biscuit. She jumped a little upon hearing the siren of the cog door went off as it had when they had entered.

“Here come the rest of them,” Gwen smiled. 

“Gwen?” Jack called out, “Did you get here okay?”

“Up here Jack,” She called back.

Ianto and the others followed Jack through the hub, gazing about them as Clary had.

“Time to explore later,” Ianto told them with a grin as they headed up the stairs to the conference room.

“Did you find anything after we left?” Gwen enquired.

“No, the rift readings were faint, they came through the rift else where,” Jack replied. “Ianto, can you get started in hacking those cameras?”

“Consider it done,” Ianto told him, starting out the door and back down to the main hub floor.

“Any luck with them?” Jack asked, taking his coat off and hanging it carefully over the back of a chair.

“Not really,” Gwen sighed, they speak very minimal English.

“They certainly like hobnobs!” Jack chuckled, amused at the way they were devouring them.

“Ianto won't be happy, they are the chocolate ones from his hidden stash!” Gwen laughed.

“So, what happens now?” Alec asked, indicating the aliens.

“We need to start up Toshiko's translation programme and hope it can find a match for their language,” Jack explained. “until we know more about them there's not much we can do.”

“I can get started on that,” Gwen answered a little sadly, “sometimes I forget Tosh and Owen are gone ...”

“Not just you,” Jack admitted with a small smile.

Gwen nodded and headed off to do so.

“How did they die?” Clary asked gently.

“A man from my past, he name was John, was manipulated by the brother I thought was dead to try and kill us all,” Jack told them sadly. “I won't go into details but they didn't survive. John tried to stop it but my brother wanted me to pay for his suffering, he blamed me and … they paid the price.”

“I'm so sorry,” Clary told him.

“No need,” Jack replied, brushing away a wayward tear. “We grieve, we will eventually come to terms with it.”

“So, this is your hub?” Jace asked, wanting to change the subject, knowing how much Clary still missed her mother. “It's a bit ...”

“It maybe a nothing like your institute but it does what we need,” Jack replied. “The rift runs right under us. It has been here for a very long time. We have a hothouse for cultivating alien flora and fauna, we have secure cells for any alien we might need them for – remind me to introduce you to Janet later – and a kitchenette where Ianto makes the best off in Cardiff, if not the world!”

“So sleeping facilities?” Alec asked.

“Only my tiny little room, below my office,” Jack told him, “but it serves it's purpose!”

Magnus raised his eyebrows at him and chuckled. It took the others a few more seconds to realise what he was alluding to and that he didn't just mean sleep.

“Oh ...” muttered Alec.

“So, do you live here?” Jace asked.

“I used to twenty four seven,” Jack answered, “but most night are spent at Ianto's flat now, the bed is much better for … sleeping!”

Gwen walked in just as the words came out of his mouth and laughed.

“Ignore him,” she told them, “he's incorrigible!”

“How's the translation soft wear going?” Jack inquired.

“Getting there, it's a huge programme,” Gwen replied. “Maybe another 20 or 30 minutes.”

“Okay,” Jack told her, “the sooner we can talk to these … ladies … the sooner we can hopefully help them.” 

“They look exhausted,” Clary put in, “don't you have anywhere for comfortable they can go?”

“I guess they would fit on the sofa …” Jack paused. “Gwen, can you take them down and fetch the blankets from storage please.”

“Sure,” Gwen told him and after a few minutes of sign language and gesturing she managed to get the aliens to follow her.

“Might me a little snug,” Jack told the others, “but more comfortable then these chair.”

“Jack,” Ianto called over the comms.

“Ianto, found anything?” Jack replied.

“Not yet, I have set the system to alert us if anything changes,” he answered. “coffee?”

“Have I ever refused?” Jack answered with a cheeky grin Ianto could see.

“Never … Sir … on anything offered,” Ianto flirted, knowing no-one else in the conference room could hear him.

“Later Ianto Jones … later!” Jack laughed and turned to see the others watching him with amused looks on their faces.”

“What?” He grinned.

“Flirting in the workplace?” Alec asked, trying not to grin.

“Well … “ Jack started to reply.

“That would never happen at the institute!” Jace laughed, looking between he brother and Magnus.

“Don't even try to deny it!” Clary put in.

“But …”

“Don't worry, we deleted the footage of your … training session when Magnus first lost his magic,” Jace chuckled. “forgot about the cameras did you?”

“I … I told Magnus not to flirt with me!” Alec huffed.

“At least you had the foresight to suggest taking it to the bedroom!” Magnus grinned, remember what had followed.

“Well, not just us then!” Jack grinned.

“Apparently not!” Clary laughed.

“Are you trying to say you and Jace have never flirted at work?” Alec asked curiously.

“Have you ever seen us?” Jace chuckled.

“Yes!” Magnus laughed as Ianto carried a tray of coffees through the door.

“Dare I ask?” He asked, placing them down.

“We were talking about flirting in the work place,” Clary told him.

“Ah … that would never do,” Ianto replied, feeling himself blush a little.

“Never!” Jack laughed and pulled him into a hug.

He let him go and spoke into the comms.

“Gwen, coffee up here, how are they?”

“All snuggled up and dozing off,” she told him, “be up in a few minutes.”

TBC


	6. Chapter 6

“Okay,” Jack asked, “Who wants to meet Janet?”

“She's an alien you said, yes?” Asked Jace, very interested.

“It's actually an it, we have no idea of it's male or female,” Jack admitted, “but I had to give it a name so I settle on Janet.”

“Barbara didn't suit her apparently,” Ianto added.

“Inside joke,” Gwen put in.

“We don't know what their species is or what planet they come from but they came through the rift,” Jack explained. “they mainly stick to the sewers, but now and then one goes rogue and comes to the surface.”

“They're dangerous?” Magnus asked.

“Very,” Ianto told him, “they can rip your throat out with one bite.”

“Nasty!” Added Alec.

“But no need to worry, Janet is locked safely in a cell,” Jack replied, getting his feet, “follow me.”

“I better go and check on the others aliens,” Gwen said, heading off to where she had left them falling asleep on the old sofa. “and then see how far along the translation programme has got, it must be nearly finished by now.”

“I'm going to stay here and enjoy the peace and quiet,” Ianto told her with a smile. “no alerts from the cameras in the warehouse yet.”

“Ummm Ianto ...” Gwen stuttered, “I'm afraid they ate all the hobnobs,”

“I noticed,” Ianto sighed. “well, you're going to have to wait until I can replace them!”

“I thought as much,” Gwen grinned, heading out the conference room.

Ianto gave a small sigh of pleasure and coffee mug in hands relaxed as best he could in the office chair.

****

Jack led the others down to the cells and stopped in front of the one that housed Janet. He tapped on the glass and she let out a low growl.

“So, not all aliens look like the ones upstairs then?” Jace commented. “Janet's not what you'd call pretty!”

“Hey, you'll hurt her feelings!” Jack said with a serious look on his face.

“You mean it can understand us?” Jack replied, looking worried.

Jack broke into a grin, “I'm just kidding.”

Jace felt relieved.

“So it doesn't speak?” Magnus asked. “How do you know what it needs?”

“We can pretty much guess, it gets more aggressive when hungry,” Jack told him, “so we try and make sure we feed it regularly.”

“What does it eat?” Clary asked.

“Well, normally, if it was in the sewers it would live on … well, you can guess, it the sewers!” Jack said, laughing at the revolted looks on their faces.

“You don't … feed them that, do you?” Clary added.

“No,” Jack grinned, “we feed her meat, like you or I would eat.”

“That's a relief!” Alec said.

“So have you met many aliens?” Jace asked as they headed back out the cells and up to the main hub.

“Quite a few,” Jack told him. “many more in the future than since being here but we've seen our fair share.” 

“Can you get them home?” Alec asked.

“Most of the time no,” Jack answered, “we can't send them back through the rift and even if we could they probably wouldn't end up where they had come from.”

“So what do you do with them?” Clary put in.

“Well, the bad ones, the ones intent on trying to take over the world or making war usually end up dead because they won't negotiate,” Jack told her, “the few that are no threat, some can integrate into society or if not find somewhere to hide away. Sadly some can't tolerate our atmosphere and because they aren't used to breathing oxygen or their planets have no pollutants.”

“They die?” Clary said sadly.

Jack nodded. “Sadly there is nothing we can do to prevent that.”

“But those … girls, asleep upstairs? What will happen to them?” Alec asked.

“Only time will tell,” Jack replied. “but it looks like they are okay in our atmosphere, which is good.”

“Yeah,” Jack replied, trying not to worry about what trouble might follow them and what to do with them if they did survive.

TBC


	7. Chapter 7

Feeling a little left out with all the boy talk Clary wandered off to find Gwen. She found her sat on a blanket on the floor, near the still sleeping aliens on her mobile phone.

“Yes, I know Rhys, I'll see you in the morning, I hope,” she said into it. “love you, bye”

She cut the call and looked up at Clary.

“Sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt,” Clary told her.

“That was Rhys, my husband,” Gwen smiled. “he's used to my odd working hours after all this time but I like to keep him in the loop. When I first started working here I had to keep it a secret, even from him and he was getting more and more angry with me. He knew I was lying but didn't know why, but thinking the worst.”

“He thought you were having an affair?” Clary asked.

“Yeah,” Gwen replied. “in the end he found out and I was meant to retcon him – it's an amnesia pills, makes you forget a few hours or day … or longer, but I refused to give it to him. I didn't want to lie to him anymore.”

“Jack agreed to this?” Clary asked.

“Not at first, in fact he got very angry but he relented in the end,” She told her. “Torchwood is meant to be a secret organisation but it appears to be the worst kept secret in Cardiff.”

“Probably doesn't help that you have Torchwood written across the roof of your car!” Clary stated.

“No!” Gwen laughed. “Grab a blanket and sit if you want?”

“Thanks, I needed to get away from the 'boy' talk,” she told her, doing as Gwen suggested. 

“They don't have any tape measures up there do they?” Gwen asked with a grin.

“Tape measures? I don't think so, why?” Clary frowned.

“You really don't want to know!” Gwen laughed.

“Go on, tell me,” Clary insisted and Gwen began to fill her in on the antics she had discovered that Jack and Ianto had got up to in the hub when they thought no-one was listening.

****

“So, aliens do they just come through the rift or are spaceships real then?” Jace asked, curious.

“Now and then we get visitors from another planet flying to close,” He replied. “most we notice before they can land or do any damage and ask them to politely leave our atmosphere. Most comply straight away, some take a little more convincing but they do normally go eventually.”

“What about the ones that land?” Alec put in.

“We find them, have a nice chat and encourage them to leave,” Ianto told him. “a little persuasion can be helpful.”

“They go?” Magnus asked.

“The ones with no agenda usually leave when asked,” Jack told him, “others go when they realise they need to leave or they will end up prisoners or lose their lives if they try and fight their way out of the situation.”

“Ah...” Magnus said thoughtfully.

“Magnus has been expanding my movie knowledge,” Alec said, “are spaceships like you see in them? Do people really have robots, droids to help them? Is the force real?”

Jack laughed. “Had him watching Star Wars did you Magnus?”

“Among other things,” Magnus confirmed, “but only episodes four, five and six!”

“The good ones,” Ianto nodded.

“Well?” Alec asked.

“Yes, there are some spaceships out there like in Star Wars and yes, in the future the use of droids is quite common but alas I have never encountered anything that would lead me to believe that the force is real,” Jack explained. “But the cantena scene in episode four, A New Hope, there are places like that all over the galaxy where many alien species congregate.”

“WOW!” Jace put in, “maybe all movies aren't boring?”

“Maybe you should try watching one or two?” Magnus suggested. 

“Maybe,” Jace nodded slowly.

“Anyway, Ianto, still nothing from those cameras in the warehouse?” Jack asked.

“No alerts yet, but I am sure whoever is responsible to locking those aliens in there will be back before long. It could be a long night, we should probably try and get some sleep.” Ianto suggested, then added to their guests “Do you need to get back to the institute? Finish checking those computer systems?”

“We should probably,” Alec replied in a reluctant tone. “Magnus, how about we go back, we can set the system to run some other diagnostic programmes to those earlier and get some sleep while they do so? Jace, do you want to go or stay here?”

“You sure Alec?” Jace asked.

“Yeah, no point us all going back for that,” Alec replied. “Jack, do you have somewhere they can sleep?”

“There's a room we keep in a local hotel for unexpected guests,” Jack answered with a nod, “they can stay there.”

“Okay, that's settled then.” Alec said. “Magnus can portal us back to the institute and then back here in the morning now we've been here, all going well.”

“Right,” Jack stated, “Ianto, can you call ahead to the hotel and inform them we have guests for the room and then I will drive them there.”

Alec got to his feet, offered his hand to Magnus to took and a stood to join him. 

“We will see you in the morning,” Alec stated, “unless something happens in the warehouse before, you will let us know?”

“Yep,” Jack agreed.

“Okay, Magnus, lets go,” he smiled at his husband.

Jack and Ianto watched in amazement as Magnus waved his arms around, producing purple sparks until a swirling circle about six feet in diameter appeared out of nowhere before Magnus and Alec stepped into it one after the other and vanished.

“Well, they seems like a good way to get around!” Ianto stated.

“It can make you feel rather ill until you get used to it,” Jace told him, “I better go and fill Clary in on what's happening.”

With that he bounded off down the stairs leaving Jack and Ianto alone.

“Well, it's certainly been an interesting day,” Jack said, pulling Ianto towards him, “one thing puzzles me, how could they have never seen aliens? There was Cyberman all over the world to mention just one incident?”

“Jack, most of the planet doesn't believe what they saw with their own eyes,” Ianto sighed. “strange but true.”

“I guess,” Jack agreed, pulling Ianto in for a kiss. “do you think we can convince to stay watching those aliens for a while?”

“Captain, are you propositioning me?” Ianto asked, trying not to grin,

“Yeah!” Jack laughed and kissed him more thoroughly.

“That's what I was hoping,” Ianto grinned. “I'll phone the hotel, you go and convicce Gwen to be on 'first watch' and when you've dropped Jace and Clary off at the hotel … I'll be waiting for you.”

“Back soon,” Jack told him, pressing one last kiss to his lovers lips before rushing off to find the others.

TBC


	8. Chapter 8

Jack pulled the SUV outside the hotel and all three of them exited. 

“It's beautiful,” declared Clary, even in just the lamplight you could see the architecture of the building. “I'd love to draw it before we have to leave.”

“You're an artist too?” Jack asked.

“An amazing one,” Jace said with a smile. “she was destined for art school before she joined us.”

“I should take some photo's in the daylight, just in case I don't get the chance.”

“Good idea,” Jack agreed. “Lets get inside out of the cold, it actually looks like we might get some snow sometime this week.”

“We get enough of that in New York,” Clary stated with a small shudder as they followed jack into the warm and welcoming building. 

“Wow!” Jace gasped, looking around at the marble interior, “this can't be cheap?”

“No, but at Torchwood we like to put our guests up in the best,” Jack grinned, striding towards the check in desk.

The young woman looked up and smiled.

“Good evening Captain, we were expecting you, the room is ready and waiting to receive your guests.” She said holding out a key card.

“Thank you Rhianna,” Jack replied, giving her his trademark smile. 

Turning to Jace and Clary he handed them the card, Jace reaching out for it.

“The room is a suite and on the top floor,” he said, “feel free to order room service, I know we haven't eaten since the pizza so you are probably hungry. And enjoy … have a good night, it really is a good suite.”

“Thank you,” Clary replied. 

“You will call us, when you find out anything about those aliens?” Jace asked.

“Do you have mobiles?” Jack replied.

“Yes, but they don't work here,” Clary told him, “we've already discovered that.”

“Okay, then I will call here and get them to give you a message,” Jack told them and added with a wink, “one of us pick you up. Now, go. I have Ianto waiting for me!”

“Sure,” Jace chuckled.

They watched Jack leave the building and headed for the lift on the other side of the lobby, checking the name of the suite written on the little cardboard key card holder and made their way up to the top floor.

Opening the door they found the light switch with the help of the dim light from the hallway and flick it on.

“Oh, it's … amazing!” Clary gasped.

From the small entrance hall they could see into the bedroom, the walls were tastefully decorated in a rich cream colour, the curtains and the bedding on the huge comfy looking bed in a rich royal blue. There was a dining/sitting room through an one door and a marble bathroom containing both a bath and shower through the other.

“He wasn't kidding about the room!” Jace stated.

“Fancy a shower?” Clary smiled, eyeing up fluffy towels hanging nearby.

“Well, I suppose it would be rude not to,” Jace grinned, pulling the young woman into his arms and kissing her softly on the lips, “Especially after Jack told us to enjoy ourselves!”

“Yeah,” Clary signed, leaning in for another kiss while unzipping her lovers leather jacket. 

Clary fell into the deep kiss that followed, both of then doing their best to rid the other of their clothes while trying not to break the kiss until they reluctantly parted breathlessly and hurriedly pulled off their remaining clothes.

Jace reached into the shower cubicle to turn the shower on, the water fell strong and fast seconds later.

“I found shower gel,” Clary stated, taking his hand with her free one and leading the way into the cubicle and gasping in delight at both the feel of the water cascading down and Jace's body against hers.

“Jack better not call too soon,” Jace mumbled into her ear just before kissing her neck. “we never get much time alone,”

“I know, now, shut up and get us soapy,” Clary said with a small chuckle, handing him the bottle of shower gel.

****

Alec and Magnus walked into the institute and with a small sigh Alec looked at all the monitors.

“I guess we should get the programme running again for glitches,” he said with a sulk on his face.

“It won't take that long, will it?” Magnus asked. “Anything I can do to help?”

“Not really, not in here and I know these screens give you migraines,” Alec replied, “you could go and find us a room, not sure what kind of state they will be after all this time though!”

“But it's so clean in here?” Magnus stated, “won't the rest of the institute be the same?”

“Magic,” Alec sighed, “to stop dust accumulating, and ruining the computers. I don't think it was applied to the rest of the institute.”

“No matter,” Magnus smiled. “A little magic and it will be perfect. You'll be quick, won't you?”

“As fast as I can be,” Alec told him.

Alec went to move towards one of the screens but Magnus caught his arm and pulled him back into him embrace.

“You better be!” Magnus smiled, holding him tightly and kissing him hard before releasing him again. “just a little taste of what's yet to come!”

“Go find that room,” Alec urged, feeling more than a little aroused. “I will be there as soon as humanly possible.”

Magnus patted him softly on the shoulder and walked off with a beaming smile on his face in search of the living quarters and bedrooms.

Locating the bedrooms he opened one of the doors and peered inside, it was as Alec had thought. No-one had even thought to put dust covers over the furniture and the dust was thick. Deciding it wasn't the right one he opened a few more doors until he deemed one right for the occasion, in the light of the moon..

Trying the light switch he was happy to find there was still a bulb in the ceiling light. It was a large room, a big four poster bed back against one one wall and a huge fireplace on the one opposite. 

“Okay,” Magnus said to himself, thinking about how he wanted the room to look when Alec arrived. With a nod of his head and a flourish of his hands he set to work. 

When he had finished the room looked like it was straight from something like the Victorian era. The walls had cream and deep red brocade wallpaper, the curtains and bedding were in a matching red and there was a fire burning fiercely in the fireplace. Magnus looked around, something was missing. With a click of his fingers the brightness of the ceiling light was gone and the soft light of candles illuminated the room instead.

“Perfect,” Magnus told himself. All it needed now was Alec.

He stood on the spot pondering for a moment before he removed his jacket and waistcoat, knowing Alec sometimes found the amount of clothes he wore frustrating and laid them carefully of the back of one of the chairs he had place near the fireplace. He considered stripping off completely and getting into the bed but he would be the first to admit than stripping each other of their clothes was something he liked. Like unwrapping a present. 

He was lost so lost in the thought he never heard the door open.

“Magnus, it's beautiful!” exclaimed, startling his husband a little. “Sorry, did I make you jump?”

“I was just thinking ...” Magnus grinned.

“About?” Alec asked, shrugging his jacket off while walking towards him.

“About how I like it when you undress me,” Magnus admitted.

“I never would have guessed,” Alec laughed, then noticed the jacket and waistcoat over the chair,“so, why did you start with out me?”

“Too many clothes,” Magnus told him.

“Still to many,” Alec grinned, reaching for the older man's shirt and hurriedly unbuttoning it.

“Perhaps I need to start wearing T shirts,” Magnus wondered out loud, tugging Alec's out of the waistband of his trousers. “so much easier to remove,”

“No, don't,” Alec assured him, pulling the shirt finally from his husbands torso. “don't change the way you dress.”

“What ever you desire,” Magnus replied, tugging the T shirt off over Alec's head.

“I love you exactly how you are,” Alec said, pulling him into a tight embrace, his arousal meeting that of the other man's. “everything about you.”

“I love you too Alexander,” Magnus replied.

Kissing hard they stumbled blindly towards the bed and tumbled down onto it.

****

Jack arrived back at the hub and check on Gwen and the alien women, who were all still fast asleep.

“They must have been exhausted,” Gwen told him, not a peep out of any of them.”

“Did the translation programme finish downloading okay?” Jack asked.

“Yes, all ready to go when they wake up,” she replied.

“I take it the alarm for the CCTV cameras hasn't gone off either?” Jack said hopefully.

“Do you think Ianto would be … waiting for you of it had?” Gwen grinned.

“True,” Jack grinned. “You still okay to take first watch?”

“Go!” Gwen ordered him.

“Yes ma'am,” Jack told her with a grin and a salute before running across the hub towards his office.

Arriving at his destination Jack looked down the hole in the floor that led to the small sleeping quarters below and spotted Ianto already in the bed waiting for him, obviously naked and an arousal he couldn't miss.

“What took you so long?” Ianto asked, sliding one hand under the sheets and southwards towards said erection.

“I was as fast as I could Jack,” groaned, shedding his clothing as fast as possible while watching the movement of his lovers hand under the sheet.

“You better be quick Sir,” Ianto smirked, “or I won't be requiring your services.”

Jack kicked off his boots, shoved his trousers and pants down his legs and toed them off frantically before dropping down next to Ianto on the bed below.

“Happy to see me then?” Ianto grinned, flinging the sheet off then freeing his other hand so he could pull pull Jack down, on top of him

“Always,” Jack answered breathlessly, dipping his head to place butterfly kisses upon the younger man's before for a moment or two and then enjoying the moan of pleasure that escaped Ianto's lips when he sucked hard on the tender skin, drawing it across his teeth in the process.

****

Gwen sighed and pulled out her mobile, checking the time. It was getting later and she was feeling bored and lonely. She nearly jumped when it rang and then smiled when she saw Rhys' name on the screen.

“Hey,” She said brightly.

“Gwen!” Rhys stated, “Don't tell me, even though it's your day off your at work, aren't you? Bloody Jack Harkness, bloody Torchwood!”

“Rhys, let me explain,” she responed, excited to tell him what had happened.

“You can explain when you get home,” Rhys huffed.

“Rhys, just calm down and listen to me for a minute!” Gwen told him. “Jack didn't call me in, I was having a break in the coffee shop and I spotted something really strange. I thought it might be aliens, that I had actually seen something come through the rift but it turned out I was wrong.”

“So, if you were wrong why are you still there?” Rhys grumbled, sounding a little less annoyed.

“Because even though it wasn't aliens it was still weird,” she said with a small chuckle. “they did appear out of nowhere but they weren't from outer space, they were from New York. Humans that … they call themselves Shaddowhunters and they fight demons.”

“Demons?” Rhys snorted, “Shadowhunters? You're not making any sense!”

“Okay, I will explain properly later but there are some aliens, nothing to do with what I saw and I am currently watching them,” Gwen explained, “that's why I am still here. They obviously don't speak any earth language but I have downloaded a programme to translate. In the meanwhile, they are sleeping.”

“And where is the almighty Jack Harkness in this? To important to do it himself?” Rhys retorted.

“No, I volunteered to take first watch,” Gwen explained. “Jack took two of the Shadowhunters to a hotel and the other two back to their Institute ...”

“Institute?” Rhys interrupted.

“More to explain later,” Gwen signed. “and Jack and Ianto … well, you know them … so I will be home in a couple of hours, three at most as long as nothing happens beforehand with this aliens.”

“Fine,” Rhys sighed. “I was hoping for an early night.”

“Well,” Gwen replied. “how about I wake you up when I get home?”

“I'm not going to turn that down am I.” Rhys replied sounding happier.

“Okay, go and get some sleep and I will see you soon,” Gwen told him with a laugh.

“I'll do my best,” Rhys replied, “ Bye love.”

Gwen said her own goodbyes and then they cut the call.

TBC


	9. Chapter 9

Jack looked at the man sleeping beside him, smiling he put his hand out and brushed a few wayward strands of hair off his forehead. 

“You look so peaceful,” Jack whispered, “when you sleep. So beautiful and peaceful.”

Jack leaned over to give him a soft kiss on the forehead, followed by the lips before climbing quietly up from the small room and dressing. With a smile on his face he trotted down the stairs from his office and headed off to see Gwen and find out if any of the alien women had awoken yet.

He found her exactly where he had left her but at some point she had been to make coffee, find an old duvet to sit on and a blanket to wrap around her body.

“Hey,” Jack greeted her quietly, seeing the aliens still huddled together asleep on the old sofa, “nothing to tell I am guessing?”

“No, they haven't budged,” she replied. “they must have been exhausted.”

“You can go home now if you want?” Jack asked her.

“Thanks, this duvet is not as comfortable as it looks,” she smiled, getting to her feet, “I have a numb bum now.”

“I'm sure Rhys can heal that,” Jack chuckled quietly.

“Jack!” Gwen exclaimed in mock shock.

“Go home,” Jack told her. “unless I needed you don't come in early, take the morning off.”

“Thanks Jack,” she answered, gathering her handbag and the few bags that contained the Christmas shopping she had managed to do before getting sidetracked. 

“Go up vis the lift, we don't want to cog door sirens waking them,” Jack told her, nodding in the direction of the sleeping aliens.

“I will, bye Jack,” Gwen said with a yawn.

Jack bid her good bye and watched her as she headed for the slab that would take her up to the Plass, turning his attention to the sleeping aliens he watched them for a few minutes before heading to the kitchenette, he needed coffee and a biscuit, if the aliens hadn't eaten the last of them earlier.

****

Waking with a start Jack looked at his watch and noted that it was almost three hours since Gwen had left, and it was almost six in the morning. He stretched, knowing exactly now what Gwen had meant about the duvet and shook the fuzz from his head. Sleeping was something he rarely did and apparently his body decided to he needed it in the early hours of the morning.

“Apparently Ianto wore me out,” he whispered quietly to himself. 

“Coffee?” A voice asked brightly.

“Please,” Jack replied, walking towards Ianto to close the gap and kissing him softly. 

“Did you sleep?” Ianto asked curiously.

“A little,” Jack told him with a smile, “I'm blaming you.”

“If I can get you to sleep now and then, then I accept the blame,” Ianto smiled, pressed his lips briefly to Jack's and then headed off to make them coffee.

Hearing a soft noise Jack turned and noticed the aliens were beginning to stir, he headed back over to them and connected his phone to the main computer so he could access the translation programme easily.

“You slept well,” Jack said, more a statement rather than a question, into the programme on his phone and listened to the strange language it changed it to and then again when one of the aliens replied almost instantly.

“We are very thankful for you … saving us,” she said, the programme translating for her.

“How did you get here?” Jack asked.

“A gang kidnapped us on our own planet,” the same one explained. “they took all our belongings, our own clothes and … made us dress like this … and, where are we?”

“The planet is called Earth,” Jack explained. 

“I don't know it,” she told him.

“Where are you from?” Jack asked.

“A small planet called Hydres,” she replied.

“That's light years away,” Jack frowned. “were you on a spaceship?”

She nodded. “It travelled very fast.”

What they would call light speed in the movies, I guess he told himself.

Hearing footsteps behind him Jack turned to see Ianto heading towards them with six mugs of coffee.

“I heard the voices and translator,” he explained. “I thought they might want some.”

“Coffee?” Jack asked and for heads nodded enthusiastically. 

“We were given coffee,” a different one told them. “when we got here, we don't have coffee … it's a good drink.”

“Agreed!” Jack laughed while Ianto handed it around.

“Find anything out?” Ianto asked.

“They were kidnapped from their planet, brought her without consent and by spaceship,” Jack explained. “not through the rift.”

Turning back to the aliens Jack asked, “your kidnappers, where they from your own planet?”

“Yes,” One signed with a nod, “our own people.”

“Where are they now, the gang that took you?” Ianto asked.

“They locked us in that place and left,” one explained, “someone else, not with the gang that kidnapped us, and he brings us food and coffee once a day.”

“Human, like us?” Ianto asked.

They nodded in unison. 

“That explains why there are been no alert from the security cameras yet,” Ianto said.

“Any idea what time of day?” Jack asked them.

“There are no windows, but there was a shaft of daylight when the food and coffee was delivered,” the same one replied. “it was … I don't know the term you would use, but it was a while before you rescued us.”

“So, sometime before sun up and sun down then,” Ianto pondered out loud. “that doesn't really narrow it down much.”

“Okay, then we will just have to rely on the alarm set to tell us when the cameras are activated,” Jack sighed, then turned to the aliens, “Is he armed? Does he have a weapon?”

All four nodded. “He threatens us with it when he brings the food,”

“How many times has he brought food to you?” Jack asked.

“Six,” one told him and they all nodded.

“Roughly a week,” Ianto frowned, “they must have had a plan for when they arrived, perhaps something went wrong?”

“Could be,” Jack agreed. “I told Gwen not to come in this morning so I need you to stay here with these ladies while I go and have another scout around that warehouse.”

Ianto nodded. “I will order breakfast to be delivered.”

“Good idea,” Jack told him. “I will call the hotel and get them to give Jace and Clary a message to meet me there in about an hour.”

“What about Alec and Magnus?” Ianto asked.

“They told me they had a way to contact them,” Jack replied. “I ask them to send them here for now.”

“Okay,” Ianto agreed and headed off to find the menu for the local cafe that delivered all day.

“Are we safe?” One of the alien women asked.

“Here, yes,” Jack told them. “Stay with Ianto, we will figure this out somehow.”

“Thank you,” she told him with a smile.

****

Jace and Clary were both fast asleep when the phone in the room rang, they both leapt up with a start at the unfamiliar noise, taking a moment or two before realising where it was coming from.

Picking up the receiver Jace simply said 'Hello?”

“This is the front desk,” a woman's voice informed him, “Captain Harkness just called and left a message, he would like you to meet him at the place you went last night in about an hour.”

“Okay, thanks,” Jace said and placed the receiver back down.

“Jack called,” Jace explained to a bleary eye Clary, “he wants us to meet him.”

Do I have time to shower?” Clary asked, stretching her whole body.

“Yeah, we have an hour to get there,” Jace replied. “and now we've been there you can portal us, so hurry up I am starving and this leaflet tells me they do a buffet breakfast!”

“I'll be quick,” Clary grinned, rushing off to the bathroom, stomach rumbling at the thought of food.

****

Opening his eyes it took Alec a few moments to remember where he was in the unfamiliar surroundings. Rolling on his side he smiled at his husband, still fast asleep and looking so relaxed.

Alec slipped quietly out of bed, pulled his clothes on and padded out the room in his socks. He headed quickly towards the main area of the institute and studied the readings on the screen of the computer, frowning as he scrolled through until he spotted it. Somewhere in the programme a small error had been noted, he knew straight away that was the reason they hadn't been alerted when Jack had be attacked by Abaddon. 

Knowing it wasn't something he couldn't correct himself he sent his sister a fire message, explaining the issue knowing she was the right one to fix the problem and could do it remotely from New York. He received a fire message back almost instantly informing him she would do so. 

Heading back to the bedroom they had spent the night in he found Magnus beginning to stir.

“Good morning,” He said, smiling at his husband.

“Good morning,” Magnus replied. “what?”

“I don't know what you mean?” Alec said.

“Why are you smiling like that?” Magnus said with a small frown.

“I love to see you like this, hair all messed up and your eyeliner all smudged,” Alec told him.

“Do you now?” Magnus replied.

“Yeah, somehow you look even more beautiful,” he admitted.

“Do you know what I like about the way you look this morning?” Magnus grinned, sliding his naked body from the sheets and stretching before looking for his discarded underwear.

“My messed up hair?” Alec tried to guess.

“Well, yes,” Magnus said, moving towards him half dressed and kissing him softly on the neck. “and the marks on your neck!”

“Again?” Alec said, heading towards the mirror hung on one of the walls and seeing the three purple love bites adorning his neck.

“You never complain at the time,” Magnus said, walking up behind him and wrapping his arms around his waist.

“You know me too well,” Alec sighed, turning in the older man's arms to face him.

“Are you going to complain now?” Magnus asked.

“No, I just need a shirt with a collar,” Alec smiled, pulling at his t shirt.

“Now that I can fix,” Magnus told him, “in a few minutes or so, after I do this.”

Magnus slid his hand around Alec's neck and kissed him deeply.

“Right, shirt and then breakfast!” Magnus exclaimed.

With a flourish of his hands Alec's shirt changed to one that would hide the marks and then with a few more a table appeared in the room laden with anything Alec might want for breakfast.

Seated at the table they were helping themselves when the fire message arrived, Alec grabbed it out of the air and read it quickly.

“Jack wants us to go to their hub,” he explained. “but we have time to finish breakfast.”

“Good,” Magnus replied, digging into the pile of waffles on his plate.

TBC


	10. Chapter 10

The sun was barely in the sky when Jack pulled the SUV up as close to the warehouse as possible. He climbed quietly out the car and headed towards the door cautiously, if there was anyone there already he didn't want to alert them to his presence. Finding the bolts locked in place how they had left them Jack relaxed a little, opened them and slipped inside, pulling the door closed again behind him.

With more time to look around the huge space he noted that it was almost bare, it one corner there were some mattresses on the floor and sleeping bags upon them and nothing else. There was a small makeshift room in one corner which Jack discovered had been made into a temporary bathroom, including a chemical toilet and a bucket of water along with a couple of ragged towels and a tablet of soap. 

“Nasty” Jack muttered to himself, leaving it quickly. 

Pulling a device from his pocket it used it to scan the whole space but no other life signatures came up other than that of the alien women in the hub and one human one. Not a single clue to who might be responsible for their being there. He was about to head out when he heard a noise outside, thinking it might be the visitor who delivered the food once a day he crept towards the doors and stood to one side as it opened a crack.

“Jack?” Jace's voice asked quietly questioningly.

“Hey,” Jack replied, “yeah.”

Jace and Clary entered the warehouse, looking around.

“Did you find anything?” Clary asked.

“Not a thing,” Jack told her, waving the gadget in his hand at her, “no other signs of life have been here except those of the aliens and apparently a human who came to bring them food and drink once a day.”

“They've woken up then?” Jace asked.

“Have they?” Clary put in excitedly.

“Yeah, a couple of hours ago now,” Jack told them, “they were kidnapped from their own planet light years away and brought here, but by who we have yet to find out. They hadn't been awake long and were still eating breakfast when I left, Ianto may have got some more information out of them by the time we get back.”

Jace and Clary nodded. 

“Do we get to meet that dinosaur you spoke of today?” Clary asked.

“She will probably make an appearance when she wants her chocolate,” Jack chuckled.

“Chocolate?” Jace scoffed.

“I kid you not,” Jack grinned, “and preferably dark. It's how we managed to catch her, somehow Ianto knew what was needed.”

“You said she played a part in getting you an Ianto together? How?” Clary asked curiously.

“Ianto wanted a job here really badly and kept trying to convince me he was needed,” Jack explained. “it wasn't until the night we caught Myfanwy that I agreed … and he does look good in a suit!”

Clary and Jace laughed.

“But why he wanted the job so badly is another story,” Jack told them. “lets head back to the hub and see if Ianto has managed to get anymore information out of them. How did you get here? Taxi? You can come back with me in the SUV.”

“We portalled here,” Jace told him.

“I thought you needed Magnus for that?” Jack asked with a confused frown.

“Not when you have Clary, she's a special kind of Shadowhunter that can do some things no-one else has ever been able to.” Jace explained.

“Interesting,” Jack nodded. “Clary, you have no idea?”

“None at all!” She exclaimed. “But it's very handy.”

“Sure is,” Jace agreed as he and Clary followed Jack towards the doors.

Jack closed them and bolted them shut again before they headed back to the SUV.

****

Ianto would never admit it to anyone but the sight of Alec and Magnus suddenly appearing only a couple of yards away did startle him more than a little, thankful the aliens were still in the conference room eating the remains of the breakfast. He had no idea if it was because they were starving from not enough food since being kidnapped or they normally ate that much.

“Good morning.” Magnus said brightly upon spotting him.

“Magnus, Alec, morning, I hope you had a good night?” Ianto enquired.

“Very,” Alec responded, “there are bonuses to being married to a Warlock, magic can be very handy at times.”

“Indeed,” Magnus added smiling, watching Alec fiddle with the collar of his shirt, “for a comfy, clean bedroom and an amazing breakfast and … other things!”

“Other things?” Ianto asked curiously.

“Magnus,” Alec warned him with the tone of his voice not to mention the need for his current shirt.

Magnus leaned towards him and whispered in his ear, “out little secret.”

Alec smiled.

“So, anyway,” Magnus asked, changing to subject, “the ladies are awake?”

“They are and have eaten enough to feed an army between them,” Ianto replied. “all we know so far is the planet they came from, that they are kidnapped and they have no idea exactly why.”

“By the looks of their clothes I would say it was to work in … well, somewhere that exploits women.” Alec said with a frown. “But alien women? Surely one one would notice?”

“If you look in the right places here in Cardiff then you will find plenty of aliens,” Ianto explained. “most keep themselves to themselves and we leave them alone. No-one talks about it but everyone knows and Torchwood? The worst kept secret ever!”

“You'll keep them safe here, until you find their kidnappers?” Magnus asked.

“They might never be found, for all we know they just brought them here, handed them over to whoever paid for them to do so and then left again,” Ianto explained. “they managed to avoid our system when they arrived, they must have had some kind of cloaking device.”

“So, you're after the people who have plans for them then?” Alec put in.

Ianto nodded. “People, or aliens … we will find them and put a stop to their business.”

With that the cog door sirens went of loudly and Jack walked in followed by Jace and Clary.

“Find anything Jack?” Ianto enquired.

“Nothing, whoever wants these women haven't been anywhere near the warehouse,” Jack told him. “and the man who brings them food or drink still hasn't made an appearance.”

“Anytime today, going on what they told us,” Ianto replied.

“Okay, we need someone close for when he does turn up,” Jack frowned. “once he gets there and realises they have gone he won't hang about.”

“He'll either bolt because he will be in trouble for letting them escape or go straight to the people who hired him, who can tell,” Jace put in.

Jack nodded. 

“I'll go,” Jace said, putting himself forwards. “I might normally deal with demons but I'm good at my job. I can catch and subdue him.”

“He really is,” Clary smiled proudly. “I can portal us both back?”

“Actually, I'd like you to stay here for now Clary,” Jack replied. “Gwen isn't here and I think we need a woman around, it might make them feel more comfortable talking about what they have been through with you in the room.”

“I get that,” Clary replied.

“I can go,” Ianto offered. 

“Okay,” Jack agreed. “how do these portals work, can they go without Magnus or Clary?”

“They can,” Magnus replied. “they have both been there so they don't need us to take them.”

“What's it like? Travelling by portal?” Ianto asked.

“You might feel a little queasy,” Clary admitted, “a bit like feeling mildly seasick.”

“Okay ...” Ianto replied a little uneasily. 

“You'll be fine,” Magnus reassured him with a smile.

“Right, it's agreed,” Jack stated, “Ianto, you and Jace go back to the warehouse. We have no idea how long you might be there, hopefully sooner rather than later. We will be alerted when this man turns us and ...”

“Either I or Magnus can get you there in less than a minute for backup if needed,” Clary put in.

“Exactly,” Jack nodded.

“I'll get my coat,” Ianto said, feeling a little nervous about the portal while walking away.

He could hear footsteps following him, getting faster as he neared where his coat hung. He stopped and turned smiling, knowing it was Jack.

“Are you sure you want to do this portal thing?” Jack asked him.

“They do it all the time, I believe,” Ianto replied. “surely it can't be that bad?”

“Yeah, but they are used to it,” Jack said.

“There's a first time for everything,” Ianto said with a hint of a smile.

“If you're sure?” Jack asked softly.

“I am,” Ianto assured him, trying to convince himself it was true.

“Just … do exactly what they tell you,” Jack said, closing the space between them, “I don't, can't lose you.”

“You won't,” Ianto smiled. “I promise, not today anyway.”

“Yeah,” Jack smiled back, knowing all to well it could be anytime, any day.

Ianto lifted his arms and placed them either side of Jack neck, looking into his eyes before pulling him into a deep kiss.

“Right, work to do,” Ianto chuckled when the kiss broke, making Jack laugh.

“Not our kind of work I hope,” Jack joked.

“Never,” Ianto grinned, slipping on his coat and then taking Jacks hand in his as they headed back to the main hub.

“Ready?” Magnus asked upon their return.

“As I'll ever be,” Ianto admitted, feeling Jack squeeze his hand moments before he let go.

Ianto walked over to stand next to Jace.

“It's really not that bad,” Jace said reassuringly.

“I'll take your word for it,” Ianto said quietly.

“Okay,” Magnus stated and began waving his arms around, a purple glow emitting from his hands and then the portal appeared before him.

“Oh ...” Ianto muttered a little louder than intended.

“Come on,” Jace smiled, grabbed Ianto's hand and they entered the portal together, vanishing almost instantly.

“Should I be worried?” Jack frowned.

“That Jace grabbed his hand?” Clary chuckled. “No, he's not Jace's type!”

“Good to know,” Jack smiled. “right, lets go and have another talk with out guests.”

TBC


	11. Chapter 11

Clary and Magnus followed Jack back to the conference room where the alien women were still seating, talking quietly among themselves.

“Ladies,” Jack spoke loudly, entering the room. “are you sure there is nothing else you can tell us about your kidnappers? It would make our job much easier.”

“Nothing, they were from our planet as we said, we didn't know them,” one responded. “we were having a night out, we are friends.”

“A girls night,” Clary smiled, it seemed such a human thing to do. “where did you go?”

“Just into the city,” the same one explained, “we hadn't seen each other for a while and we just met up for a drink.”

“You never think of aliens, well, I never actually think of alien life at all really,” Magnus put in, “but you don't expect them to live the same kind of lives we do.”

“When did they take you? During or after?” Clary asked,

“After, we had just left and went to find transport home,” another one said, “we all got in the same one and the next thing we knew we were waking up on a strange ship.”

“Drugged,” Jacked nodded thoughtfully, “could someone have put something in your drinks?”

“We never left the table,” one explained.

“It could have been the barman?” One piped up, “he was watching us when we sat down but I didn't really think anything of it.”

Jack sighed again, “yeah, he was probably part of the gang or being paid to carry out their dirty work.”

“They gave no indication of why they were bringing you here against your will?” Magnus asked.

“No, but, well judging by these outfits we are guessing it wasn't anything … legitimate,” one told him sadly.

“I'm inclined to agree,” Magnus nodded.

They were interrupted by the sound of Jack's mobile ringing, followed instantly by an alarm going off on the computer monitoring the warehouse CCTV.

“Ianto?” Jack said, answering the call and running down the steps from the conference room to turn off the computers alarm.

“Someone just pulled up in a car,” Ianto replied, “it's got to be him, Jace and I are following him now.”

“One of the external cameras has been triggered,” Jack replied. “do you need us to come?”

“No,” Ianto replied, “there's just one man, Jace and I can handle him.”

“Just be careful!” Jack stated.

“Always,” Ianto told him before cutting the call.

****

Ianto and Jace silently followed the man from the car around the building to the door, creeping as close as they could without being noticed until he had unlocked the doors and slipped inside.

“Now!” Jace said, rushing towards the doors, Ianto hot on his heels.

When they entered they saw him clearly in the bright lights of the warehouse. He was dressed completely in black and was stood in the huge space holding a paper bag from a fast food shop in one hand and a tray of takeaway coffees in the other looking completely confused.

“Lost something?” Jace called out, blade in his hand.

“What? Who the hell are you?” the man shouted back. “Do you work for them, have they taken the girls and double crossed me? I still want my money?”

“No, they don't have them, we do,” Ianto replied, gun out as he and Jace walked slowly towards them. “we want to find the men you are working for.”

“Not going to happen!” The man stated, tossing the food and drinks on the floor and making a run for it.

“You're not going anywhere,” Jace told him, sprinting after him.

“We need him alive,” Ianto called out, running after them.

Jace pulled his stele out mid run, passed it over a rune and then pounced at his target, leaping a distance not normally humanly possible and tackled him to the ground. When Ianto reached them moments later Jace was sitting astride the man and holding his hands pinned above his head.

Ianto attached one end of a pair of handcuffs to one of the man's wrists.

“Get him up,” Ianto told Jace.

In one swift move Jace got to his feet and pulled the man up be the back of the collar of his coat, Ianto yanked his other arm around his back and fastened the other end of the handcuffs in place.

“You are coming with us,” Jace tols him.

“Where, who the hell are you?” The man demanded.

“Torchwood!” Ianto stated,

“Oh fuck,” the man uttered under his breath.

Ianto pulled out his phone again and called Jack. 

“We've got him, someone needs to make us one of those portal things so we can get back,” Ianto told him the instant he picked up.

“Great,” Jack told him and cut the call.

A minute or so later the portal appeared a few feet away from them, they both had hold of one of the mans arms and went to pull him towards it but he was rooted to the spot.

“What the fucking hell is that?” He asked, his voice shaking with fear of the unknown.

“Nothing for you to worry about,” Jace assured him.

“We're not going to hurt you,” Ianto replied, “at least, not for now.”

Tugging him hard they dragged him towards the portal and before he could complain again they stepped into it.

Appearing back in the hub the man found himself face to face with Jack.

“Well, just the man we have been waiting to meet,” Jack told him with a big grin.

TBC


	12. Chapter 12

“Where the fucking hell am I?” the prisoner shouted. “And who the fuck are you?”

“Captain Jack Harkness,” Jack told him, “we are Torchwood, well some of us and you are in our hub.”

“Torchwood, he said,” nodding towards Ianto.

“Correct,” Jack replied, “and we want to know what your involvement is with the lovely ladies we found in the warehouse?”

“I don't know anything, you have the wrong man,” he snarled.

“Then why were you there, carrying enough food and coffee for four people?” Jack asked.

“I was very hungry and in need of a caffeine fix,” he told him, lies tripping easily off his tongue.

“Really?” Ianto asked, shoving him forwards, “lets see what our guests have to say about that!”

Jack led the way to where the young, alien women were sat talking to Clary and Magnus.

“Him, that's him,” one of the aliens stated, the group huddling closer together.

“No, never seen them before,” the prisoner stated.

“I think we will have to beg to differ on that point,” Jack said, “so, are you going to tell us willingly what we want to know, who you are working for or are we going to have to do it the hard way?”

“I already told you, I don't know anything about these … things, what the hell are they?” he shouted.

“Fine, I think a little time in the cells might help, don't you Jack?” Ianto put in.

“Yeah, put him next to Janet, make sure he gets to see her first,” Jack agreed.

Ianto dragged him off towards the cells, Jace accompanying him with his hand on his blade in case the man tried anything.

“Do you think he will talk?” Clary asked.

“He will eventually,” Jack replied, “we have our ways and means.”

“Torture?” Clary asked, eyes widening.

“Just the threat of it works a lot of the time,” Jack said, “but if needs be.”

“The Clave, our bosses, outlawed it some years ago,” Alec replied.

“And if he still won't talk?” Magnus asked, curious.

“Then he gets to have a nice stay in the cells,” Jack shrugged.

“I have an idea, Clary,” Magnus said thoughtfully, “could someone use in encanto to persuade someone to tell the truth?”

“Like Simon?” She replied, “I don't know, but perhaps.”

“Encanto?” Jack frowned, “what is that, I've not heard that term before.”

“Encanto is something only a vampire can do, one of their abilities,” Magnus explained. 

“And this Simon, is a vampire you know?”

“What about Simon?” Jace asked as he and Ianto returned.

“We wondered if he could use encanto to extract the truth out of the prisoner,” Clary told him. “Magnus suggested that maybe Simon might be able to do it.”

“And to answer your question Jack, yes, Simon is a vampire,” Magnus stated.

“Would that be wise, bringing a vampire into Cardiff?” Ianto asked.

“Simon is a friend, my best friend,” Clary told him,

“And dating my sister,” Alec told them.

“Your best friend?” Jack asked, “how did that happen?”

“He was always my best friend, he was kidnapped by the local vampire clan not long after I found out about the Shadow World and turned by Camille,” Clary informed them, “a nasty piece of work, but he will always be my best friend.”

“He's growing on me,” Alec grinned. “he still talks to much though.”

Jace laughed. “Now, getting back to the point, I think it could work, do you think Simon would help?”

“If Izzy asked him for sure,” Clary grinned.

“So, Jack, how do you feel about us trying this?” Magnus asked him.

“I can't see the harm, if you can guarantee we won't be in any danger?” Jack replied.

“Simon won't attack anyone, I can promise you that,” Magnus told. “he doesn't drink from Mundanes.”

“Okay, if you can get him here, we will try it,” Jack agreed.

“Well send a fire message to Izzy,” Clary said, “she will convince him is a good idea and I can portal them here.”

“Fire message?” Ianto asked.

“Watch and learn,” Alec told them. “do you have a piece of paper and a pen?”

“Sure,” Ianto said, rushing off and returning a minute later with a sheet of paper and a pen that he handed to who wrote Magnus who held his hand out for the items.

Jack and Ianto watched Magnus write on the paper, fold it in half and then just threw it into the air where it ignited around the edge and then vanished.

“What the fuck?” Ianto exclaimed.

“Fastest way to message them,” Alec told them, before he could finish a piece of burning paper appeared in the hub and Magnus grabbed it out of the air.

“Izzy says she will ask Simon and get back to us,” Magnus told them, reading the note.

“For now we will just let him sweat in the cells than,” Jack said. “who's hungry? Chinese?”

“Starving,” Alec replied instantly.

“He's always starving,” Magnus added, “but yes, Chinese sounds good.”

Clary and Jace nodded in agreement and Ianto went off the find the takeaway menu so everyone could choose what they fancied to eat.

“Coffee anyone?” Jack asked upon Ianto return with the menu's.

“Or beer, I think there is still some in the fridge?” Ianto added.

“Or cocktails?” Magnus put in with a smile, “I can provide them, he said, waggling his fingers.”

Jack was the only one who wanted coffee, Jace and Ianto decided on beer and Alec, Clary and Magnus had the cocktails Magnus made appear for them by magic.

TBC


	13. Chapter 13

The next morning, Jace, Magnus and Alec returned to the hub after spending the night in the hotel and the Cardiff Institute as before, telling Jack and Ianto that Isabel had sent a message informing them that Simon had agreed to see if he could help using encanto on the man in the cells and Clary had portalled back to the New York Institute to collect them.

“Okay,” Jack stated, “coffee before they arrive?”

Already becoming addicted to Ianto's coffee they all responded with a resounding yes and Ianto headed off to the kitchette.

Announcing her arrival by the sound of the cog door opening Gwen walked in with a smile on her face and four carrier bags stuffed to bursting with the name of a budget clothing shop on them.

“Been to the sales?” Jack asked with a grin.

“No, I thought those women might like something less revealing to wear,” Gwen replied, “it's only jog bottoms, t-shirts and hoodies but at least it might make them feel less exposed.”

“Good thinking,” Jace agreed, feeling a little sad that they would be covered up, something he would never admit to.

“So, you found the guy that was keeping them in the warehouse?” Gwen confirmed, having received a text from Jack the evening before.

“Yeah, but he's not talking,” Jack replied, “Clary has gone to get a friend of theirs that might be able to help loosen his mind.”

“You're not going to torture him are you?” Gwen asked, glancing around at the other three in the room.

“No,” Alec explained, “Simon is a vampire and ...”

“A vampire?” Gwen exclaimed, not letting Alec finish his sentence, “Vampire?!”

“As I was saying, Simon, like other vampires,” Alec continued, “can do this thing they call encanto, it sort of hypnotises people to do as they wish and we think he might be able to use it to make the man we captured tell us what we know.”

“But still, a vampire?” Gwen repeated herself.

“We are all safe my dear,” Magnus told her, “as we told the rest of your team, Simon does not drink from Mundanes.”

“I'll take your word for it,” Gwen replied, not sure if she believed him, “I'm going to give these clothes to the aliens, we really need to find them somewhere else to go, stay.”

“I agree, but until we find out who they were being kept in the warehouse for, this is the safest place for them.” Jack told her. “Maybe we can look into getting them some mattresses and find somewhere to sleep properly.”

“I'd suggest the cells … but they are cells!” Gwen sighed, “anyway, I will be back shortly.”

“I have an idea,” Magnus put in, “these cells, I could help make them more habitable, if you'd like.”

“Let me think on it,” Jack replied, “it seems like it could be a good solution though.”

“Just let me know if you want me to,” Magnus told him as Ianto returned with the tray of coffees and placed them on the conference table.

“I took some coffee to the aliens and found Gwen there giving them clothes,” Ianto told them, “not what I would have chosen, but better than the skimpy outfits they were dressed in.”

“I'm not so sure ...” Jace said without thinking.

“Don't let Clary hear you say that,” Magnus said, grinning.

“I won't ...” he began, stopping then the bright circular light of a portal appeared in the hub below and Clary stepped out with two others.

“Izzy and Simon I am assuming?” Ianto asked.

“Yeah,” Alec replied, heading down the steps to meet them.

“You wouldn't guess he was a vampire,” Ianto pondered out loud. "Where's his cape?”

“Real vampires don't go around wearing capes,” Jace laughed.

“Oh, okay,” Ianto mumbled and went back to drinking his coffee as Alec returned with the other three behind him.

“This is Izzy, my little sister and Simon, her boyfriend,” Alec said, introducing them to each other, “Izzy, Simon this is Jack and Ianto.”

“Captain Jack Harkness,” Jack said, giving them his trademark smile. “good to meet you.”

“Jack!” Ianto sighed, “sorry, he can be a tad enthusiastic.”

“That's okay,” Izzy replied, grinning back and then remembered Simon was beside her, reaching for his hand.

“So, they told me you want me to try and use my power to get someone to tell the truth?” Simon asked.

“Do you think you are able?” Jack asked.

“I've never used it for that, but I think it could work,” Simon admitted, “no harm in trying.”

“Agreed,” Ianto said.

“New people?” Gwen asked, coming up the stairs. “One of them is the vampire?”

“I prefer Simon,” Simon told her with a smile.

“Sorry, I'm Gwen,” she told him, thinking that he looked nothing like she had imagined.

“Isabel, Izzy,” Introduced herself, “I'm Alec's sister.”

“Good to meet you,” Gwen replied. “the women are in the new clothes and seem rather excited about them, apparently they have nothing like them on their planet.”

“Planet?” Izzy frowned.

“Oh, we didn't explain in the fire message,” Alec told her, “we need your help because the man in the cells was keeping four alien women, who had been kidnapped in a warehouse.”

“And we helped save them,” Jace said proudly.

“Sorry, I should have filled you in completely before we came here,” Clary told them.

“I'm sure we will get the whole story eventually,” Simon said, “so, where will I find the man you want me to encanto?”

“Might as well get started,” Jack agreed, “follow me, you can say hello to Janet while we're down in the cells.”

“Janet?” Simon asked, turning to follow Jack down the steps from the conference room.

“Another alien,” Jace called out, “but not one you want to get in a cell with.”

“Thanks for the warning,” Simon replied, hurrying after Jack.

“Should we go down there too?” Magnus asked.

“No, we can watch on the monitor,” Gwen replied and Ianto picked up the remote and found the feed from the cells, honing in on the one containing their prisoner.

TBC


	14. Chapter 14

Simon looked in horror at the Weevil in the cell, he had seen plenty of the strange and weird since becoming part of the Downworld but Janet was something else entirely, and finding it a little hard to get his head around the fact that she was from another, unknown planet. A real life alien.

“Right, I think I've seen my fill of … Janet,” Simon told Jack, “where's this man I need to encanto?”

Jack gave a small laugh and took him to the adjoining cell where the man sat down on the hard floor looking terrified. 

“SO, are you going to tell us willingly who you are and who you are working for?” Jack asked him.

“Never!” The man retorted.

“I think he is more scared of the people he is working for than us,” Jack told Simon, “I really hope whatever it is you are about to do works.”

“I'll do my best,” Simon promised.

Jack watched in a kinda awe as he watched Simon change, shift from human looking, to becoming the vampire he thought was just a character of fiction. The differences minimal, the way his pupils dilated and then there were the fangs. Jack found he wasn't scared in the least, just very curious.

He watched as Simon stood in front of the cells glass front, his eyes fixed on the man in the cell, and not breaking his stare he uttered the word 'Encanto'. Jack found a strange look cross the man's face, looking at Simon as if in a trance.

“Stand,” Simon told him.

The man did as told, getting to his feet.

“Come closer,” Simon ordered.

The man walked slowly forwards as if he was being manipulated like a puppet until, when he was about a foot away from the glass Simon told him to stop.

“We are going to ask you some questions,” Simon told him, “and you will tell us what you know.”

“I will tell you what I know,” the man repeated.

“Ask him his name first,” Jack told Simon.

“What is your name?” Simon put to him.

“Andrew French,” he responded immediately.

“Amazing!” Jack stated, “I need you to ask him why he was keeping the four alien women in the warehouse.”

“Tell me, why were you holding four alien women in a warehouse against their will?” Simon asked him.

“It was my job, I was paid to keep them fed and watered,” Andrew replied, “I did my job.”

“Who employed you to do this?” Simon asked, anticipating the kind of questions Jack would want answered.

“A man I met.” Andrew explained, “I was homeless, he told me if I did this for him he would give me a place to live and pay me per day for the job.”

“Which man?” Jack asked.

“Do you know the name of this man?” Simon asked, relaying the question.

“He told me to call him Jim,” he replied, “I don't know his full name.”

“What did he look like?” Simon asked.

“White, tall, about six feet at least,” he told him. “He had dark, almost black hair and brown eyes.”

“Anything else?” Simon questioned him.

“Clean shaven with a small scar on his forehead,” Andrew replied, “wearing jeans and a black leather Jacket.”

“Anything else you want me to ask?” Simon asked Jack.

“Ask him if this man seemed completely human.” Jack replied.

Simon did so.

“Yes.” Andrew replied simply.

“Where would you meet him to get paid?” Simon said, suddenly thinking of it.

“Pub, The White Swan in the city centre,” he replied. 

“How often?” Simon asked.

“Once a week, on a Friday evening around eight.” He answered.

“In two days,” Jack uttered to himself.

“Do you know what they were planning to do with the aliens and when?” Simon put to him.

“They didn't tell me anything,” Andrew replied, “just to look after them until they needed them.”

“I don't think he knows anything anymore useful,” Simon told Jack.

“I agree,” Jack nodded, “but I guess we will be going to the pub on Friday to see if we can find the man he described.”

“Shall I release him from the encanto now?” Simon asked.

“Yeah, lets go back up to the others,” Jack replied, “and I have been thinking about what Magnus suggested, about making a couple of the cells more habitable for the women.”

“He has great taste,” Simon replied before looking straight at Andrew again and told him to sleep.

Andrew dropped to the floor of his cell, curled into a ball and did as instructed.

“That is a really useful thing to have,” Jack told Simon.

“I have my moments.” Simon smiled and walked with Jack through the cells and back up to the conference room in the main hub where the other were all sat around talking.

“I'm guessing you all watched what happened on the monitors?” Jack asked when they returned.

“Yep,” Ianto replied.

“That was so cool!” Gwen grinned.

“Thanks,” Simon smiled. “I hope it helps.”

“Magnus,” Jack said, turning to him, “that offer you made to make the women somewhere more comfortable to stay, sleep, if it still on?”

“Of course,” Magnus smiled, “I'd be happy to.”

“Ianto, would you take Magnus back down to the cells please,” Jack asked.

“Sure,” Ianto nodded, “follow me.”

“Okay,” Jack said, “we need to be in The White Swan on Friday evening, if we can find the man Andrew has described then we might be able to find out more information.”

“I'd be happy to help again,” Simon told him.

“I'd appreciate that,” Jack told him, “don't you need to get back?”

“No, I can stay for as long as you need me,” Simon replied.

“I might have to go, if I get a fire message,” Izzy told them, “but I think I want to help, if I can too.”

“The more the merrier,” Gwen grinned, “especially having more women around the place. I was wondering, do all Shadowhunters dress like you and Clary?”

“It's very practical,” Clary replied, jeans and leather.”

“And the heels?” Gwen asked Izzy,

“There is nothing a Shadowhunter can't do in heels,” Izzy stated causing Clary to chuckle.

“I'm not sure I could run around Cardiff hunting aliens in four inch heels,” Gwen stated.

“I'd like to see you try,” Jack grinned.

“It just takes practice,” Izzy smiled.

“Rhys, my husband wouldn't complain,” Gwen laughed.

“Okay, enough fashion talk,” Alec sighed, “what do we do now?”

“Not a lot we can do expect keep monitoring the warehouse and wait to go to the pub on Friday.” Jack replied.

“So, can we go and explore Cardiff a bit?” Clary asked.

“I don't see why not,” Jack shrugged.

“Okay,” Clary agreed. “Jace, you up for a walk?”

“Sure,” he agreed.

“You fancy that too Izzy?” Simon asked her.

“Well, it's unlikely that we will get to return, so we should make the most of it,” Izzy agreed.

“You might want to take umbrellas,” Jack suggested, “it looks like the rain is coming back, Ianto keeps them in a tall pot by the cog door.”

“I think I will go and see what Magnus is doing to the calls,” Alec said, “if someone can show me the way again please?”

“Follow me,” Gwen told him with a smile and one by one the conference room cleared until only Jack was left.

“I guess I better so and tell the women they will have better accommodation soon,” Jack said to himself and headed off to see them.

TBC


End file.
